Effects of Two Terpene Alcohols on the Antibacterial Activity and the Mode of Action of Farnesol against Staphylococcus aureus
Naoko Togashi, Yoshihiro Inoué, Hajime Hamashima, Akihito Takano
Molecules
Abstract
We have studied changes in the antibacterial activity and the mode of action of farnesol against Staphylococcus aureus when two terpene alcohols with an aliphatic carbon chain were added, individually, to a bacterial suspension that contained farnesol. Geraniol increased the growth-inhibitory activity of farnesol, but suppressed its ability to damage cell membranes, which is one of the predominant features of the growth-inhibitory activity of farnesol. Geranylgeraniol decreased the growth-inhibitory activity of farnesol and also suppressed its cell-damaging activity. It is possible that the presence of a terpene alcohol can both enhance and suppress the antibacterial activity of farnesol, and even change its mode of action. Thus, it is important to study not only the antibacterial activity of each constituent of an essential oil but also the interactions between them in efforts to characterize the antibacterial activity of the essential oil.
Extracted Claims
4 claims extracted from this paper into the knowledge graph
geranylgeraniol decreased growth-inhibitory activity of farnesol
“Geranylgeraniol decreased the growth-inhibitory activity of farnesol and also suppressed its cell-damaging activity.”
geraniol increased growth-inhibitory activity of farnesol
“Geraniol increased the growth-inhibitory activity of farnesol, but suppressed its ability to damage cell membranes, which is one of the predominant features of the growth-inhibitory activity of farnes...”
geraniol suppressed cell-damaging activity of farnesol
“Geraniol increased the growth-inhibitory activity of farnesol, but suppressed its ability to damage cell membranes, which is one of the predominant features of the growth-inhibitory activity of farnes...”